The Lord bestowed upon Grand Duchess Elizabeth the gift of spiritual discernment and prophecy. Fr. Mitrofan Srebrianski related that not long before the Revolution he had a dream. It was very vivid and clearly prophetic, but he did not know how to interpret it. The dream was composed of a sequence of four pictures, in color. The first revealed a beautiful church. Suddenly, it became surrounded by tongues of fire, and the whole church went up in flames — a terrifying spectacle. The second showed a portrait of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in a black frame; the comers of the frame sprouted forth shoots bearing lily buds that blossomed, becoming so large as to conceal the portrait, The third showed Archangel Michael holding a flaming sword. In the fourth picture, St. Seraphim of Sarov stood on his knees on a rock, his hands upraised in prayer.

      Perplexed by this dream, Father Mitrofan described it to the Grand Duchess one morning before Liturgy. Saint Elizabeth said she understood the dream. The first picture signified that there would soon be a revolution in Russia, that a persecution would be raised against the Church, and for our sins, for our disbelief, the country would be brought to the brink of destruction. The second picture signified that her sister and the entire Royal Family would receive a martyr’s death. The third picture signified that subsequently Russia would be overtaken by frightful tribulations. The fourth signified that by the prayers of Saint Seraphim and other saints and righteous ones of the Russian land, and by the intercession of the Mother of God, the country and its people would obtain mercy.

The Holy Martyr Elizabeth, A Life and Akathist (in Russian), Moscow,